Back to our regularly scheduled programming: Fresh off of my paternity leave in which feeding and putting to sleep my baby was my charge, I have the distinct privilege of resuming my commentary portion of the Spotlight. With any luck, there will be even more feeding (knowledge) and minimal sleep induction. Given the sugar rush that awaits many of us this weekend – whether it be from “quality assurance” testing a few pieces of candy from our own trick or treat bowls or being the lucky recipient of confectionary cast-offs from our children's Halloween haul (come to me, candy corn) – that should not be a tall task. More likely to be a tall task is Cleveland's Major League Baseball team, newly named (at least for the time being) the Cleveland Guardians defending itself from a trademark infringement claim from an earlier established roller derby team named the Cleveland Guardians. But we will be watching closely as this David v. Goliath story unfolds. And as this installment of the Spotlight continues to unfold, here's a look at a number of the other stories going bump in the night this Halloween week:
- Billie Eilish is the latest celebrity to sniff out an opportunity to leverage her personal brand to make a foray into beauty products, partnering with Parlux on a new vegan and cruelty (bad guy?)-free fragrance.
- Molten, a Boston-based media rights management startup completes a wicked awesome seed financing round with the backing of several prominent names in entertainment and media.
- Parents: Hide your credit cards. Hasbro becomes the latest entry into the metaverse, debuting Power Rangers NFTs.
Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments
How Synesthesia Informed Billie Eilish's First
Fragrance
October 20, 2021 via Women's Wear Daily
The world of celebrity fragrances has gained a new player: Billie
Eilish. In partnership with Parlux, the Grammy Award-winning artist
has developed her first bid for the beauty consumer.
New Balance Establishes Athlete Advisory
Board
October 20, 2021 via SGB Online - Outdoor Business News
Headlines
New Balance announced the establishment of the New Balance Athlete
Advisory Board, a specialized collective of professional athletes,
company executives and brand associates. The new structure reflects
a shift in its athlete endorsement deals toward a partnership
model.
David Beckham Slammed for Signing $200 Million
Qatari Tourism Ambassador Deal
October 25, 2021 via Celebrity Net Worth
In a deal that was just revealed by The Daily Mail, David Beckham
will reportedly earn approximately $20 million per year over the
next 10 years to "act as an ambassador for the country [Qatar]
and promote tourism and culture."
How Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson Are Investing in a Meat-Free
Future
October 25, 2021 via VegNews
Woody and Laura Harrelson and Owen Wilson are supporting the
plant-based shift with an investment in Abbot's Butcher, a
vegan meat brand.
Kim Kardashian's Skims x Fendi Apparel Collab Might Break the
Internet
October 25, 2021 via Input
Fendi and Skims are officially collaborating, Kim Kardashian
announced on Instagram. According to the influencer, the
“first-of-its -kind” partnership combines the luxury of
Fendi with the innovation of Skims, producing a collection of
co-branded shapewear, tights, and apparel.
Film & TV
National Lacrosse League Heads to ESPN Under New
Broadcast Deal
October 26, 2021 via Sportico – Business (subscription
may be required)
ESPN will air every National Lacrosse League game this season, on
ESPN+ or one of its linear networks, after signing a multi-year
broadcast deal with the expanding league.
Colorado Mammoth Games to Stream on ESPN Under New Media
Deal
October 26, 2021 via KUSA 9 News - Business
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) and ESPN have reached a new,
multi-year media rights agreement, the companies announced.
Molten, an Enterprise Software Startup, Raises $7
Million in Seed Funding From Ashton Kutcher, Michael Ovitz, Jack
Dorsey & Other Backers
October 21, 2021 via Deadline - Hollywood Breaking
News
Molten, an enterprise cloud startup aiming to deliver a
comprehensive set of insights for clients across several parts of
the evolving streaming marketplace, has raised $7 million in seed
funding. Initial backers of the company include actor, producer and
entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and CAA
co-founder Michael Ovitz.
Abacus Media Snags Sales Rights to Media Musketeers' African
Drama ‘Pulse'
October 21, 2021 via Television Business
International
Abacus Media Rights (AMR) has partnered with European producer
group Media Musketeers to pick up sales rights to Pulse, the
upcoming survival horror drama being produced with South African
streamer Showmax and Spain's The Mediapro Studio.
Music Biz
White Hill Music Signs Global Agreement With Sony Music
Publishing
October 26, 2021 via Yahoo Finance - Top
Stories
Today, October 26, Sony Music Publishing announced its partnership
with one of the leading music and film production studios in India,
White Hill Music Pvt Ltd., to provide global publishing services
for White Hill Music, including administration, synchronization,
and catalogue promotion.
Executive Turntable: T-Pain Links Up With Slip.stream, Recording
Academy Hires New CIO
October 22, 2021 via Billboard
T-Pain, the longtime Tallahassee R&B and hip-hop singer, has
joined the advisory board of Slip.stream , the music platform that
provides more than 50,000 royalty-free music tracks for content
creators on the Internet.
Music Publishers Propose Higher Streaming
Payments
October 22, 2021 via Wall Street Journal Technology -
What's News (subscription may be required)
The National Music Publishers Association and five major streamers
are duking it out this week in front of the Copyright Royalty
Board, which determines royalty rates for songwriters and
publishers.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Adobe Partners With NFT Firm Rarible to Protect NFT
Creators
October 26, 2021 via Benzinga
Adobe Inc — the market leader providing software tools for
creatives — partnered with NFT market Rarible to protect the
digital artists behind the tokens.
Introducing S!NG Market: a Barrier-Free Music NFT
Marketplace Featuring Aloe Blacc and ZEAL-Certified Artists
Including Puscifer, Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit, Our Lady Peace,
Nothing More, StrangeLoop Studios, and Danny Wimmer
Presents
October 26, 2021 via Financial Buzz - Top
Stories
S!NG, a developer of tools that empower creators to instantly
protect and sell their work using blockchain technology, today
(October 26) announced the launch of S!NG Market, a curated,
music-centric digital marketplace where users can buy, sell, view
and listen to NFTs from their favorite artists all in one
place.
LINE Corporation LINE and Ditto Music Agree to
Develop NFT Products on Opulous
October 26, 2021 via Public Now - Public Announcements -
Top Stories
LINE Corporation announced today that LINE TECH PLUS
("LTP"), operator of LINE's cryptocurrency and
blockchain-related businesses, has signed a strategic partnership
with Ditto Music to develop NFT products on Opulous.
Hasbro Launches Power Rangers NFT Collection on Wax
Blockchain
October 25, 2021 via Venturebeat
Hasbro is wading into the NFT collectible market with the upcoming
Power Rangers on the WAX blockchain. The big toy and entertainment
company has partnered with the Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX) to
release its very first NFT collection on the WAX blockchain.
Sports Execs Bet on Classic Poster Artist's Move Into Digital
Art
October 20, 2021 via Sportico – Business
(subscription may be required)
If you grew up a sports fan in the late 1980s or early 1990s, there
is a strong likelihood John Costacos' work hung in your
bedroom. Now, a quarter century later, the iconic artist is back,
armed with $4.5 million of private investment capital and a
treasure trove of I.P. Launching a blockchain-based digital
collectibles company, he plans to reimagine his legendary poster
series and create new digital artwork as NFTs.
Right of Publicity
Duke Taps Nielsen Data to Bolster
Recruiting Pitches in NIL Era
October 26, 2021 via Sportico (subscription may be
required)
Nielsen Sports believes the data used to evaluate and sell
sponsorships could be useful to those making a different kind of
sales pitch: college coaches on the recruiting trail. The first
client for the new Nielsen Impact Score (NIS) offering already sits
atop the recruitment game.
NIL Industry Leader Highlights New Ownership and New Women
Athletics Department
October 21, 2021 via Financial Buzz - Top
Stories
MatchPoint Connection (MatchPoint), the leading influencer
marketing app that connects brands with talent, is perfectly
positioned to continue its growth with the recent NCAA ruling that
allows collegiate athletes to financially benefit from their name,
image and likeness (NIL).
Handbag Brand Edie Parker Prevails in
Right of Publicity Case Waged by the Estate of Edith Kerouac
Parker
October 19, 2021 via Fashion Law (subscription may be
required)
Edie Parker – the brand whose colorful and often customized
acrylic box bags have garnered a very long list of famous fans and
graced red carpets from the Oscars to the Met Gala – has
prevailed in a legal battle that it has been fighting over its
name.
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